Cobh Ramblers F.C.

***eircom 1, Rd 1***
**Cobh Ramblers 1 - 0 Monaghan United**
John Donegan			Y	1	Eddie Keogh
Packie Kelly				2	Brendan Finn
Tommy Cregoe				3	James O'Callaghan
John Murphy				4	Robbie Best		Y
Willie Byrne			Y	5	Mick Scully
Kenny O'Rourke			R	6	Paul Hall
Mark Clifford				7	Broinn	(off 80)
Keith Dalton	(inj 51)			8	Andy Myler
Donal Golden		1 (pen)		9	Paul Smyth	(off 74)
Ciaran Dalton				10	Carl Wilson		R
Liam O'Connor			Y	11	Colin Notaro

Michael Cashman	(on 51)			12	Paddy O'Hanlon	(on 74)
				13	Johnathon Treacy	(on 80)
				14
				15
				16

Referee: J. Casey (Waterford)

COBH RAMBLERS had to rely on an 84th minute penalty from new signing Donal Golden to secure the points as they and Monaghan United struggled for long periods to shake off the cobwebs of their summer break.
Mis-timed tackles were the order of the day and both sides were reduced to ten men. Monaghan's Carl Wilson was given his marching orders on 57 minutes and was followed by Cobh's Kenny O'Rourke for his second booking 20 minutes later.
Cobh were obviously the happier of the two sides after collecting the three points but more importantly for manager John O'Rourke was the ease with which their new signings, Golden, goalkeeper John Donnegan and American Ciaran Dalton, settled into the side.
Golden was bustling with energy up front where he put his physical frame to great use by breaking ball for Dalton who looked very impressive on what was his national league debut with his pace causing the Monaghan defenders headaches throughout the game.
It was Donegan, however, who was the most impressive of the new signings. The former Cork City goalkeeper was in tremendous form as he pulled off a number of excellent saves, the most impressive being an effort from Andy Myler that seemed destined for the top corner of the Cobh net until Donegan threw himself the full length of the goal to tip the ball away for a corner.
After a rather lacklustre opening 45 minutes when neither side showed the hunger or indeed inspiration needed to win the game, it suddenly sparkled into life seven minutes after the break when Donegan was forced into a great double save from Colin Natoro and Myler.
Following this early scare Cobh eventually woke up and began to take the game to Monaghan but were frustrated time and again as their finishing let them down and, just when the game seemed certain to end scoreless, Cobh were awarded the penalty for a handball.
Golden duly took responsibility and sent the perfect kick to the top corner of the Monaghan net to score his first goal for his new club and get Cobh's season off to the perfect start.